Monday, 28 July 2014

So I realise it's not quite Autumn yet, but Little Bird have just launched their transitional pieces for AW14 and I'm in love with EVERYTHING so I had to share my wish list for the girls!I'm so excited because from this season onwards items will be made for children up to the age of eight, instead of age five as they were previously. This means Daisy will still be able to wear them which she is so happy about (as am I). I just wish they made them in my size! The colours and materials are, as always, utterly perfect for the season - in this case for that early Autumnal time of year where the sun is still shining but there's a chill in the air. What do you all think? I would honestly wear everything in this list myself if I could! xoxo

We spent Saturday afternoon on an awesome man made beach on the Southbank in London with Ruth from RocknRollerBaby and Carolynne from Mummy Endeavours and their families. It was honestly such a brilliant day; we ate sushi, splashed in the water fountains (yes, me too!) and made sand angels in the huge sandpit that has been built along the prom overlooking the Thames (inbetween the Hungerford and Waterloo bridges).

If you fancy a trip to the seaside but the coast is too far for you, I'd wholeheartedly recommend paying the Southbank a visit; we could have spent all day there! The best bit? It's all entirely free, although there is heaps to do nearby if you do fancy splashing a bit of cash (the London Aquarium and the London Eye to name a couple).

Daisy and Evie wore matching Seaside dresses from the Little Bird by Jools range at Mothercare (which you all know I'm a huuuuuuge fan of). I lost count of the number of times people asked me where they came from on Saturday alone; they're so cute and retro and remind me of the sundresses I wore growing up in the eighties. (My Mum used to dress my sister and me the same too). I think lots of people have the same nostalgic love for Jool's pieces and that's what makes them so popular. Aren't they just so gorgeous?

How quickly did July zoom by? I can't believe the time has come for me to launch August's Style Project prompts already!July has seen an incredible amount of people join in with the Project; just search the hashtag on Instagram or Twitter to see everyone's fantastic photos and prepare to be inspired!This month is high summer, and lots of us will be having at least a little bit of time off so I'm hoping for a record amount of participants. I'd love it if you'd help spread the word. Retweet, regram, share share share. Please! I'll love you forever.Remember, you can interpret the prompt exactly how you wish. There's no right or wrong way. Everyone wants to see what you're wearing and how you're wearing it so why not take a photo and join in. It's a great motivator as well as being brilliant for your self-esteem.

New to the #NYNYStyleProject? Read all about it here.Want to join in? Here's how to play.

♥ Find the day's prompt on the current month's list.♥ Interpret the prompt as you will, and incorporate your interpretation into your daily style. It can be an item of clothing, a piece of make up or a beauty project that you own or something you've seen and are lusting after. ♥ Take a photo! ♥ Share it on Instagram or Twitter. Don't forget to use the hashtag #NYNYStyleProject so that other people can find your pictures.♥ Search the hashtag yourself and check out other people's photos. Like what you see? Tell the photographer! It's a nice way to get to know eachother and a lovely confidence boost too. ♥ You don't have to join in every single day! Sometimes it's just not possible - and that's okay! Dip in and out whenever you like, and if you're not able to take your own photos, look at other people's for inspiration.

Most importantly - have fun! - and don't forget to search the #NYNYStyleProject hashtag on Instagram and Twitter! xoxo

Saturday, 26 July 2014

I don't know about you, but when it comes to printing off photographs, I'm TERRIBLE.Now that everything is digital, it all just stays stored on my phone, or my MacBook or my external hard drive, and my photos never quite make it to print.When Daisy was one I made a concerted effort to print off all the special photos from her first year but they are still all sat in their paper folders, waiting to be sorted and put into an album. Like I said; terrible!The photos I've made the effort to print off since then have been single ones that I've wanted to frame, either as a gift or for myself. I'm pretty last minute when it comes to things like this, and also pretty impatient, so each time I've taken a photo I've wanted to print I've travelled into town, paid over the odds to have it printed instantly and taken it home to frame, rather than doing it all online. It's a bit of a pain in the bum and also pretty expensive - but I'm prepared to pay a premium for instant results.Earlier this month Canon approached me about reviewing their PIXMA MG7150 printer. I don't have a printer at all at the moment so was pretty keen to get one, even if it was just a super simple model that meant I could print off work related stuff in black and white.I wasn't expecting the all singing all dancing model we were sent and can honestly say it has revolutionised our lives, in more ways than one! You'll hear more about it's features over the next few weeks, as Canon are going to be setting me challenges to show just what this printer is capable of.The first one was:Capture an image of your children enjoying the sun at the weekend using the printer with your smartphone, and print it using the PIXMA Printing Solutions AppYes, you can wirelessly print photos directly from your phone - and not just while you're indoors connected to your wifi either. You can also print over 3G from anywhere in the world!The quality of the prints are exactly the same as you'd get from the professionals and, having spoken to Canon, taking all factors into account (paper, ink, electricity etc) each 6x4 photo works out as costing just 17p each. Admittedly this is a few pence more expensive than printing instantly in a shop, but when you add petrol and parking costs into the equation, and time too, I think it's well worth it to be able to print in the comfort of your own home.

So Daisy and I headed out to our local Ice Cream parlour, Dylan's in Haslemere, at the weekend. D had chocolate orange ice cream, with hundreds and thousands and a 99 flake and I had mint and cucumber sorbet. Both were divine! I took the photo at the top of this post, which we wirelessly printed without any problems whatsoever, and which is now stuck onto our fridge.It's been brilliant to be able to print off special photographs at home, and we've been able to send them to grandparents and great grandparents which has been lovely. I'm really looking forward to learning about what else this super printer can do xoxoThe Canon PIXMA MG7150 retails at around £150 and is available from all good stores, such as Argos, Amazon and John Lewis.DISCLAIMER: We were sent a printer in exchange for the series of posts which are to come. All thoughts and comments are true and my own.

Last night I was at the W Hotel in London for the premiere of season three of hit US show, Scandal. If you don't watch it already, you must - you can catch up on seasons one and two on Sky on Demand right now before the new season starts on Sky Living next week.We were collected in super fancy cars and escorted through the streets of London by motorcycle outriders in true Olivia Pope style, before being taken to the W Hotel for an amazing meal at Spice Market, followed by a private screening of the first two episodes of season three. My absolute favourite store, 20th Century Foxy, very kindly gifted me their beautiful Trudy Party Dress for the occasion and it was utterly perfect for the red carpet. Made from cotton with a sateen finish it was super cool (so ideal for a balmy summer's night like last night) but still oh so glamorous. I love the cross over neckline and the full pleated skirt - both are SO flattering.I teamed my dress with peep toe heels to complement the vintage theme, a single, simple piece of gold jewellery from Muru at Lulu Winter and my Kate Spade Perri Lane Looloo bag.Huge thanks to Kylie from Memoir Mode for the photographs xo

Thursday, 24 July 2014

This is a guest post from Kimberley Watson. Kim is a proud mummy and wife herself, but when she gets chance, she’s also a keen writer, having graduated with an English degree. As a bit of a free spirit, she believes travel is the key to a happy life, and she’s going to make sure her kids see the world, too. On the off chance she’s not writing, with the family or off exploring, you can find her curled up with a good book or enjoying some delicious treats. Her 20-year-old-self would be kicking her for not saying ‘partying’, but sadly that’s just not true anymore! You can find her on twitter here.

Getting around on public transport can be tricky, even at the best of times. But when you factor in one, two or even three-plus little ones, that trickiness can soon switch to a full blown nightmare. As your kids get older, the demands may well get tougher, and often, it’s through no fault of their own. We’ve put together a list of reasons you might want to reconsider your stance on not getting a car…

They’re Not Actually All That Expensive

By the time you factor in regular travel on trains, where the costs are ever increasing, it’s hardly any cheaper than driving. Sure, you can find some pretty sweet bargains in advance, but since you don’t always know when you’ll need to hop on one, sometimes that’s just not possible. Unless you’re very brave, you probably want to avoid coaches as well – although there are some great companies out there, the schedules aren’t always ideal for local day-to-day use. So, by investing in a car, if you’re carrying multiple people it’s cheaper than each person buying a ticket. Insurance, maintenance and petrol add up, sure, but so do train tickets. Once you’ve got it, it’s already paid for as well, so there’s that. Try using a second hand website like thisisads, ran by Local World, because you’ll be able to find some great deals locally so you won’t have to travel far. You should also use this Government website to protect yourself from any nasty shocks when buying used cars.

They Come In Really Handy For Everything

Daughter started guitar lessons? Son decided that he loves reading so much that he’s going to raid the library of his permitted eight books per week? No problem. You’ve got a car, you can manage. Other really cool uses are packing in the friend your kids have begged to come for tea, getting everywhere on time (traffic and life’s little disasters permitting, of course), stuffing all your groceries in and generally getting anywhere the pesky little bus routes don’t go. If you live in London, or a big city, that might not be an issue, but some more rural routes only operate at peak times, leaving people stranded otherwise for long durations. Plus, unless you’re going through toll roads, you never need to have loose change ever again.

They Can Be Safer

The last thing you want is to be hanging around bus stations at all hours of the day and night, and heaven forbid it’s your child expected to do this. You can always drive off in sticky situations and lock your doors when you feel unsafe. Plus, you don’t have to walk through dodgy areas. As long as you follow some simple tips, you should be alright. Finally, as a driver, you’re in control. You know you have your children’s life in your hands, but that’s okay – they ARE your life, so you’ve got it well and truly handled.

Wednesday, 23 July 2014

I've always had a thing for tweed. It's timeless, hardwearing and looks bloody amazing dressed up or dressed down.The latest addition to my wardrobe is making me long for AW14. I'm never normally one to wish away a season but seriously, I need to wear this!

Introducing.... my most beautiful Boden British tweed blazer in neutral puppy tooth check. What do you think? I'm head over heels in love with it.

Made by the famous Abraham Moon & Sons in Yorkshire from 100% wool, this jacket is perfectly Boden with its contrasting floral lining, bright yellow under-collar felt and stitching and grosgrain trim.

Team it with a dress and heels for a super chic look or with a crisp white shirt, jeans and Hunters for a casual walk in the country - either way you'll look utterly fabulous.This blazer has now gone into the sale, although the neutral has sold out. However it IS still available in blue and aqua (the aqua is utterly divine) and it's reduced from £149 to £89.40! Boden have also now released their new Autumn tweed range which consists of four gorgeous designs; checks in either blue or grey or an olive or pink herringbone.Linking up to Transatlantic Blonde's What I Wore Wednesday, Mummy's Got Style's Fashion Friday and Style Me Sunday's Street Style Sunday xoxo

Tuesday, 22 July 2014

Although I've managed (undeliberately) to time both of my pregnancies so that the third trimesters fell during the Autumn months, I'm currently watching some of my very good, very pregnant friends struggle with this heat.A baby is an amazing gift at any time of the year, but I've always thought that having a summer baby would be brilliant; you and your tiny bundle can get out and about in the last of the summer sunshine and, with a bit of luck, Christmas will see you celebrating the end of the sleep-deprived weeks. But as my currently pregnant friends will tell you, being heavily pregnant in the warmth of summer can be tough. Here are a few tips on how to cope.

Eating and Drinking

If the combination of the heat and your ever-increasing bump is making you feel that you can’t face food, fight the urge to skip meals and eat light fruit and salad-based lunches and dinners. If the opposite’s true and you feel you need to eat everything in sight just to muster the energy to get through the day, make sure you eat healthily too (although if you fancy an ice cream, have one!). It’s crucial to stay hydrated, especially if the weather’s hot, so make sure you always have a bottle of water with you and take regular swigs from in it.

Sleeping

Even if you’re on maternity leave with your first baby, the best-laid plans to catch up on sleep before baby arrives never seem to quite work out. During the day nesting instincts tend to win over nap time, and at night, one of the great ironies of pregnancy is that just when you need to stock up on sleep, you can’t because of heartburn or having to constantly get up to go to the loo. And even if neither of these is a problem, getting comfortable probably is! Do all you can to settle by making sure your duvet isn’t too hot, your pillows are supportive (if you’re really struggling, you can get special pregnancy pillows - I had a 12ft long U-shaped one - much to my husband's delight - which was AMAZING) and if your partner moans you’re keeping him awake with your tossing and turning, send him to the spare room or the sofa! Keeping the bedroom curtains closed all day and installing a fan is also a great way to keep your room as cool as possible.

Clothes

When we get to the third trimester we sometimes feel guilty about buying maternity clothes. However, your comfort is of paramount importance, so put yourself first. The shops are packed with great value maternity clothes, so even if you’re not planning another baby, you can treat yourself to a few things without spending a lot of money. So when you’re stocking up on nappies and wipes, head to George at ASDA for lovely summery George maternity dresses, skirts, shorts, tops and bras that will make you feel better and look blooming gorgeous in the final weeks of your pregnancy.

The last trimester flies by so quickly, so make sure you take the time to put your feet up when you can, enjoy something trashy on TV and daydream about the first time you look into your new baby’s eyes.... all the aches, pains and discomfort will be worth every second! This is a collaborative post.

Last weekend, we met up with some other bloggers at Maggie & Rose in Kensington to talk about ways in which we can keep our kids entertained during the holidays without spending a fortune. This is something I'm pretty passionate about; the Summer holidays can end up being super expensive if you let them - but that really needn't be the case. Kids don't care about how much money you spend on them; they're happy getting mucky, being crafty, being noisy and spending quality time with their friends and with you. There's so much you can do either at home, or close to home, that's cheap as chips - or even better, entirely free!Here are a few ideas to keep you busy over the next six weeks!

In my first Simple Things post last week, the girls and I paid our local park a visit. We packed a picnic, took our buckets and spades and spent a whole afternoon there; it was so much fun!

How about making saltdough?I've posted my own recipe for salt dough on here before; its SO easy to make - and the making part is equally as fun as playing with it afterwards!

A spot of biscuit decorating?For the price of a couple of packets of sweets and a bag of icing sugar you can spend an afternoon decorating biscuits from the biscuit tin. Then you get to eat your creation afterwards with a well earned cup of tea!

Arts & CraftsColouring, cutting, sticking - kids love to get crafty and by collecting a few bits and pieces here and there its super easy to put together a craft box for next to nothing. Poundland is also a great place to visit to get some crafty items (glue, glitter, coloured paper etc) really cheaply.Have a disco at home{I don't have a photo of this I'm afraid. Ha!}Don't pretend you're not excited.... Put your favourite dress on, turn the iPod dock up loud and have a party! Daisy and Evie danced to the entire Frozen album (for the thousandth time) at Maggie & Rose and loved every second. They loved it even more when I joined in ;)

Have a toy swap with some friendsKids love other children's toys.... so why not do a swap for a few days? After playing with a t-rex at her cousins house, Evie is now obsessed with dinosaurs and was made up to find an entire table of plastic dinos at Maggie & Rose!Have you got any other good ideas of fun, affordable things to keep the kids occupied this summer? xoxoDISCLAIMER: Thanks so much to www.vouchercodes.co.uk for inviting us along to this super event, and for giving us some brilliant ideas for having fun without spending a fortune.

The opportunity couldn't have come at a better time for me; since getting my camera last month I've been on the look out for a quirky, one off strap for it, and getting to design and make my own was an absolute dream.Elizabeth is a true genius. Her collection of shoes, bags, journals and, most recently, camera straps are all utterly divine. Everything she makes is handcrafted using a combination of both traditional and modern techniques, and her design philosophy is to avoid one season styling, making each piece timeless, which I LOVE.She is also a brilliant teacher and expertly guided us through the leather working process, making it heaps of fun too. We learnt about cutting, punching, stamping and using studs, as well as the different types of leather and what items they're best suited to being made into.After looking at Elizabeth's website and Instagram, I'd spotted some gorgeous turquoise leather and planned/hoped to make my strap out of it (turquoise is my favourite colour at the moment) but at the studio I fell head over heels in love with the softest and most beautifully textured piece of black bull hide and then found some amazing brass shield studs so my design ended up changing completely. I did however incorporate a wee bit of the turquoise leather I'd loved onto my strap, opting to stamp my name onto a piece, which I then studded onto the neck strap to personalise it.

We spent two and a half hours creating our leather masterpieces, and we had so much fun in the process.

Carissa created a gorgeous black and cream strap with striking golden eagle studs and Nat a beautiful one made from vibrant lilac leather, navy mock croc leather and contrasting gold and silver studding.

I love mine so, so much. I just adore that it's entirely unique and that I designed and made it myself.Elizabeth Dunn products are available at selected independent boutiques across the country, or online here. Her gorgeous leather DSLR straps start at £85, and she offers an entirely bespoke service. She also regularly holds workshops where you can create your own leather item - keep an eye on her Facebook page {here} for more info. xoxoDISCLAIMER: I was invited to take part in this workshop free of charge in exchange for this post.

Thursday, 17 July 2014

On Tuesday, Daisy, Evie and I were invited to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home to hear all about their wonderful new partnership with Bob Martin, the family run pet healthcare company.Yes, the lovely people at Bob Martin have pledged to provide all the cat litter needed by the three Battersea centres (London, Old Windsor and Brands Hatch) for the next four years - how amazing is that?We were invited down to hear a little about the charity and the company, given the opportunity to ask a vet any questions we might have about our own pets, and were then taken on a tour of the cattery and for a socialising session with some of the animals. As huge cat lovers, and still pining for our beloved Pogg, we were itching to meet some of the cats and kittens. We would love to adopt another cat soon - and given the opportunity (although it's rare when there are small children involved) - I'd love to give an older cat a second chance of a happy life with us. I'm a bit soppy really; I just don't feel as if a house is a home unless it has a cat to rule it - and that's exactly what the cottage has been missing since we moved out to Haslemere.

Daisy and Evie loved meeting the residents; they both formed little bonds with two of them in particular; Daisy with Lua, a nine week old black kitten that already has a forever home lined up and Evie with Stardust, an older cat of a year and a half, who was supposedly a timid and worried soul but seemed really rather fond of the noisiest child in the place! They do say that the animal chooses the owner.... perhaps Stardust is the one for us!Battersea was established in 1860 and has been taking in homeless and lost dogs and cats for 154 and 151 years respectively. Sadly they receive an average of eight cats every day, with the most common reasons for people bringing them in being allergies, because they're moving house, because a cat has had an unwanted litter of kittens or because their owners simply can't afford to look after them anymore.There are over 1000 volunteers at Battersea that provide vital roles such as animal socialising, admin, gardening on site and spreading the word within their local communities. It costs £12.7million a year to care for the dogs and cats so they are extremely indebted to these volunteers - and now that Bob Martin have very generously offered to donate their Felight cat litter, it will make a real difference.What a perfect partnership; two brilliant, long established organisations working together to help keep animals happy and healthy xoxoWe were invited to Battersea for the day but were under no obligation to write this post.

Wednesday, 16 July 2014

When it comes to footwear, there's absolutely no hiding my love of clogs. Why? (...apart from the fact they're utterly gorgeous?) They are ridiculously comfortable (I wear a pair almost every day; on the school run, shopping, I even walked round Paris quite happily in some for ten hours straight, which is surely proof enough!) and they're super versatile too, looking fab with bare legs, coloured tights - or even white socks if you're feeling fancy. Whenever I've bought clogs before, I've always bought them from Lotta from Stockholm - they stock a huge variety of brands, which are super reasonably priced - plus they have free UK shipping which is a bonus. Lotta asked if I fancied reviewing a pair of her own brand clogs. Of course I did!

I opted for a pair of closed toe highwood t-bars in aubergine (thinking ahead to AW14) and I completely love them. They're the perfect transitional shoe; I've been wearing them lots this summer and I know they'll get plenty of wear when the weather begins to cool down too.The wooden sole is solid, the leather is beautifully thick and luxurious and the heel, at 7cm, is just perfect for glamming up the day-to-day.

I seriously need a pair in every style and colour. My obsession is getting ridiculous! Next on my list are these black soft soles. They remind me so much of a pair I had in the nineties!Aubergine and mustard yellow is my new favourite colour combo by the way... Isn't it just divine? xoxo

Monday, 14 July 2014

Today was the first official day of our summer holidays. We woke up to bright blue skies and beautiful sunshine and had a lazy morning watching movies (the girls) and doing a bit of housework (me). We stayed in our pyjamas until eleven o'clock!Once we'd got dressed, I let Daisy decide on our plans for the day. She fancied a picnic lunch and a play in the sandpit at our local park...... good choice!

Our park is possibly the highest point in Haslemere (the views are amazing - and they're even better if you stand on a bench ;)). There's a play ground, a sandpit, tennis courts, and a cricket pitch and pavilion so there's plenty to do and it's entirely possible to spend a whole day there.We might have only been there for a couple of hours today, but we still managed to have heaps of fun. We took our buckets and spades and a picnic blanket, as well as a cool bag filled with sandwiches, fruit, biscuits and squash. After a good run around and a lovely lunch we headed home, grubby, sandy and sleepy!

What a great way to start the holidays, I can't wait to spend the next nine weeks doing this! ♥

Thursday, 10 July 2014

Tomorrow is the last day of term for Daisy. In fact it's her very last day of nursery ever!

Daisy's first day and last day at nursery

I can hardly believe that my little lady will be starting school in September. It only seems a few months ago that I took her to her nursery for her very first settling in session. In actual fact she's been there for almost two years now and, as Evie won't be starting until after next Easter, it kind of feels like we'll be saying goodbye to the school and all her teachers forever!This week has been crazy busy with end of term activities and admin, shopping for teachers' presents and general preparation for the holidays (sorry for the blogging silence). Tomorrow is Sports Day, followed by a picnic in the park with all her teachers, classmates and their families which we're all really looking forward to. Daisy is most definitely ready for the summer holidays now though - it's been a very long term - and I can't wait to have both of my babies at home with me for nine whole weeks! What have you got planned for the holidays? xoxo